Power-driven lawn mower



Mai ch 24, 1931. A. E. .JERRAM 1,798,021

POWER DRIVEN LAWN MOWER Filed Jan. 20, 1928 Patented Mar. 24, 1931UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR ERNEST JERRAM, or OADBY, ENGLANDPOWERJDRIVEN LAWN MOWER Original application filed March 23, 1927,Serial'lio. 177,791,. and in Great Britain May 25, 1926. Divided andthis application filed J'anuary'20, 1928. Serial No. 248,197.

This invention relates to power-driven lawn-mowers. Such machinescomprise a grass-collecting box which is usually of large size andrelatively heavy to move when filled with grass cuttings. Such machinesare shown, for instance, in my U. S. Patent No. 1,709,791, granted April16, 1929, on application Serial Number 177,791, filed March 23, 1927 andentitled Power driven lawn mow- 1o ers, of which the present applicationis a division.

Various proposals have heretofore been made to mount the grass-box of alawnmower so that when emptying the same it was swung first about oneaxis of pivoting and then about a second axis of pivoting without beingremoved from the machine, but in all these cases the arrangement wassuch that the grass-cuttings had to" be emptied on to the ground. Suchcuttings then had to be filled by manual labour into a wheelbarrow orthe like to be conveyed away.

This invention has for its main object to obviate this defect andgenerally to improve the mounting of and, facilitate the emptying of thegrass-boxes of powerdriven lawnanowers, so that the grass-cuttings canbe delivered directly from the mower into a wheelbarrow or the like forconveying them away.

According to an important feature of the invention, there is provided inor for apowerunit-driven lawn-mower, a supporting-device for a grass-boxso arranged to control the emptying motion of the box that this motionis first in one direction and finally bodily in another and differentdirection away from the power-unit of the machine, the arrangement beingsuch that the grass- 40 cuttings can be discharged from the box into anordinary wheelbarrow or like receptacle situated in front of themachine, without removing the box from its support.

According to another important feature of the invention, the support forthe grass-box has an elevated axis of pivoting for the box, which axisis situated at such a height and the grass-box is so constructed andarranged that it can be swung about the axis for discharging itscontents in the manner set forth in the preceding paragraph.

In a convenient construction ofsupport according to the invention, thesupport has a lower axis of normally supported,- and which is situatedbepivoting on which the box is low the elevated axis aforesaid and is soarranged that' when the box is swung in the direction for emptying it,it rotates first about the lower axis and-then automatically engages thehi gher pivotal axis about which 51) it continues to swing on leavingthe lower pivotal axis.

One embodiment of the invention is dia grammatically illustrated by wayof example in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view'of a powerdriven lawn-mower provided with a grass boxsupportmg device accordingto the invention,

Figure 2' is a sectional side elevation of the said supporting device,and

Figure 3 is a side elevationwith parts broken away showing the lowerpivotal support for the grass box.

' Like reference numerals designate 7 like parts n both views.

' Referring to the drawing, a supporting device for a grass-box of alawn-mower comprises a member of inverted U-shape whereof the end crossbar 151 is tubular and; constitutes the aforesaid elevated axis ofplvoting, and the free ends of the side limbs 152/are detachably carriedin sockets 153 on the side members 11, 12 of the mower frame. Two tierods 15%, one for each side limb 152, serve to .85 brace the'lattertothe mower frame. The lower pivotal axis is constituted by two pivot-.pins provided one on each side'limb 152 at 155, and the grass-box isprovided on either side with a slotted metal plate 156 for engaging thepivots One or more bearing members are; p ing the cross b to swing aboutbearing mernb rovided on the box for engagar 151 and permitting the boxthe same, Asillustrated, these ers are in'the form of hooks 157' formedby slotting the sides of the box. lVhen the grass-box is in its lowestnormal position for receiving the grass cuttings it is supported by hide mem thepivots 1 55 and by rests, one on her 11, 12 of the frame ofthe 1'.

.which is left beyond it mower, and the hooks 157 are swung clear of theupper pivot 151. When it is desired to empty the box the front of thebox as viewed from the handles of the machine can be readily swungupwards about the lower pivots 155 until the hooks 157 engage the upperpivot 151, whereupon the fulcrum point of the box is transferred to thelatter, and thebox 7 can be readily swung upwards still further toenable the grass cuttings to be tipped into a wheelbarrow or otherreceptacle placed to,

receive them in front of the machine. This arrangement permits the frontend of the box to move in a nearly vertical direction until it is clearof the adjacent parts of the machine, so that the total length of themachine can be kept within reasonable dimensions for agrass-box of largecapacity.

In order that the grass-box may be of strong yet light construction itis preferably provided with a stretcher plate 159 bridging across itsfront end and so arranged as to form as defined in the claims. r

I claim:

1. In a lawn-mower, a grass box, afulcrum on the lawn-mower forpivotally holding the grass box, said lawn-mower having a sec- .ondnormally disconnected fulcrum for the box situated at an elevationabove'the first mentioned fulcrum.

2. In a lawn-mower, a grass box and a support for the grass box havingtwo fulcrums one above the other for detachably pivotally supporting thegrass box, the upper of said ffllcrums being normally disengaged from te box. r

stretcher plate extending partially over the open side of the box and inline with said glass deflector and having one end closely adjacent tosaid grass deflector, said box having the grass receiving opening at oneside of said stretcher plate and a grass discharge opening at theopposite side of said plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARTHUR ERNEST JERRAM.

the

3. In a lawn-mower, a support having two fulcrums, one above the other,and a grass box having open bearings for normally engaging the lowerfulcrums for normally supporting the box for swinging movement, said boxalso having upper open bearings normally disconnected from the upperfulcrum, but adapted to engage same on an initial swinging of the boxabout the lower fulcrum, whereupon said box is adapted toswing about theupper fulcrum while the first named bearings move .away from the lowerfulcrum.

4:. In a lawn-mower, a support, a grass box fulcrumed in said support, agrass deflector r on the lawn-mower adjacent said box, anda V

